For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:9,10 ESV
We don’t like to be told not to do something, and it affects the church too. There is more to be gained by being positive we are told, and that is true too. But let’s not forget that the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20 include several that say “Thou shalt not” and it would do us well to take note.
Jesus shed new light on the Old Testament commandments by telling us to Love God with all our hearts, minds and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves. The old law still stands. We cannot ignore any of the ten commandments even though some might think they are too negative to be modern or helpful. The Bible is full of things we are commanded NOT to do, or be involved in, and they are there for our good. God knows the things that are harmful to us as individuals, and as a society. We would be wise to take note and act on the “Thou shalt NOT” as well as the “Thou shalt”. It’s not a pick ‘n mix faith.
The aim is to provide a stimulating mix of personal opinions (from a mainstream Christian worldview), and associated comments, which will be accepted and published if they comply with the usual courtesy and decency.
No comments:
Post a Comment